McDermott handpicks EnerMech for work on Shell’s giant gas project off Trinidad & Tobago

October 29, 2025, by Melisa Cavcic

U.S. offshore engineering and construction player McDermott has tasked EnerMech, an Aberdeen-headquartered integrated solutions specialist, with an assignment for the development of a gas project off the coast of Trinidad and Tobago, operated by Shell Trinidad and Tobago, a subsidiary of the UK-headquartered energy giant Shell.

As a result, EnerMech has won a pipeline pre-commissioning contract with McDermott in support of Shell’s Manatee gas development, which is located 60 miles or 100 kilometers off the southeast coast of Trinidad and Tobago. The Scottish player will deliver what it describes as critical services across a 115-kilometer, 32-inch offshore pipeline.

Charles ‘Chuck’ Davison Jnr, EnerMech’s CEO, commented: “Securing this contract through McDermott reflects the strength of our technical track record with Shell both regionally and globally, and our ability to execute with precision, safety and efficiency.

“Strategically, it strengthens our presence in a geography poised for a wave of large-scale energy projects, allowing us to build momentum and maintain a strong in-country footprint.”

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This project is expected to reach peak production of 104,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day (boe/d) (604 mmscf/d), once online from 2027. EnerMech claims that it will be utilizing its core pre-commissioning competencies and equipment related to nitrogen testing and dewatering services.

Frazer Thomson, SVP Energy Solutions, emphasized: “Our success is built on the deep knowledge and capability of our team, who have supported every major EnerMech campaign in Trinidad and Tobago since 2013.

“From high-pressure nitrogen dewatering to multifaceted water-winning solutions, we bring proven expertise, specialized equipment and a commitment to operational excellence. The confidence Shell and McDermott have placed in us and our nitrogen dewatering expertise reflects our consistent performance, safety leadership, and integrated delivery model.”

The company claims that its local and international project management and technical teams will be deployed across project phases, ensuring continuity and drawing on more than 12 years of experience in-country. Manatee’s gas is expected to provide backfill for Trinidad’s Atlantic LNG facility.

Shell is pursuing ways to step up utilization at existing LNG plants as an important lever to maximize the potential of its existing assets in line with its ‘LNG Outlook 2024,’ which forecasts a rise in global demand for LNG of more than 50% by 2040.

This project will enable the UK energy heavyweight to boost its LNG arsenal. The Manatee field is part of the giant Loran-Manatee field that straddles Trinidad and Tobago’s maritime boundary with Venezuela, which was discovered in 1983 and subsequently appraised via four wells.

While Loran represents the portion of the field in Venezuelan waters, Manatee stands for the portion of the field in Trinidad and Tobago. Shell operates the field, with a 100% working interest under the sub-Block 6D production sharing contract (PSC).

This assignment comes after EnerMech won a multi-year contract extension in the Middle East with Dubai Petroleum, alongside a new deal for an offshore gas development in Australia.